A New York Times 25 Best Classical Track Selection for 2019 This "in memoriam" album contains two recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, made 42...

A New York Times 25 Best Classical Track Selection for 2019

This "in memoriam" album contains two recordings of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6, made 42 years apart: the performance from 1971 (first authorized release) and the performance from 2013 at the Salzburger Festspiele (first release on these formats). Mahler's No.6 was a central piece in Gielen's repertoire. The contrast between the two performances is dramatic, essentially expressing the full range of Gielen’s approach to Mahler. The German conductor, Michael (Andreas) Gielen, studied under Erwin Leuchter in Buenos Aires (1942-1949), then under Josef Polnauer in Vienna (1950-1953). He held several positions with prestigious ensembles across Germany until finally taking directorship of the SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden and Freiburg in 1986. Micael Gielen also taught orchestral conducting at the Salzburg Mozarteum until he became an emeritus professor in 1995.

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REVIEW:

This release pairs performances of the same symphony with the same orchestra that could not be more different. The first, from 1971, is shimmering, vigorous and pretty good — but the second, from 2013, is the real deal: so slow, dark and heavy that it feels, by the end, truly like horror in sound.

– New York Times (David Allen)